The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for degenerative arthritis of the left ring finger was denied as there is no evidence of ankylosis, and the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that he had ankylosis.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran did not have left ring finger ankylosis, which is required for any compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 5227. Since there was no ankylosis and the applicable diagnostic code does not provide a compensable rating in this instance, a compensable rating for degenerative arthritis of the left ring finger must be denied.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the left ring finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20045163
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20045163.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his claims of a compensable rating for degenerative arthritis of the left ring finger and service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The SSA records are also requested as they may be relevant.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right and left thumbs, as well as his index, middle, ring, and little fingers, have been granted a 10 percent rating each. The Veteran is not entitled to higher ratings for these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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